


Lean On Me

by giraffewrites



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Caretaking, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Post-Season/Series 03, Season/Series 03 Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-16
Updated: 2019-07-16
Packaged: 2020-06-29 13:05:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,669
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19830823
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/giraffewrites/pseuds/giraffewrites
Summary: Being dependent on people isn’t something Billy’s a fan of. His mom leaving was the end of his dependence (also known as being a child), and the beginning of his, in Neil’s words, ‘welcoming to the real world’. At this very moment in time, however, Billy doesn’t have an option but to be dependent. With his right arm broken and his left ankle sprained, he’s barely a contestant for the ‘Mr Independent’ awards. The silver lining in the cloud is that the person he’s being depend on is Steve.





	Lean On Me

**Author's Note:**

> Title from Lean On Me by Bill Withers

Being dependent on people isn’t something Billy’s a fan of. His mom leaving was the end of his dependence (also known as being a child), and the beginning of his, in Neil’s words, ‘welcoming to the real world’. At this very moment in time, however, Billy doesn’t have an option but to be dependent. With his right arm broken and his left ankle sprained, he’s barely a contestant for the ‘Mr Independent’ awards. The silver lining in the cloud is that the person he’s being depend on is Steve.

“You know, the water could be hotter.” Billy smirks at the glare Steve’s offering him. He reaches out to run the back of his finger against Steve’s jaw, tilting his own head and pouting his lips. “Just a suggestion, princess.” He emphasises the last word with a tap to the end of Steve’s nose.

“You’ve been in here for twenty five minutes,” Steve points out. Rolling his sleeves up, he cusses to himself when soap suds on his jumper, and huffs in annoyance when Billy takes them to place on his cheek. He shoots him another glare, “Would you like the award for world’s biggest pest?”

“I’ve already won it.” Billy uses his good hand to help him sit up, hissing when pain strikes his back. Steve’s hands are on him instantly.

“Are you okay?” He scans Billy’s face and his upper body, checking for any reopened wounds. “Is it your leg? Your back?”

“My back,” Billy winces, sitting up more only to put himself in more pain. “Fuck- ah, _shit_.”

“It’s okay, it’s okay,” Steve tries assuring him, even though his tone suggests otherwise. Getting to his feet, Steve grabs Billy’s towel from the sink and slings it over his shoulder. “Careful now, okay?”

“Well I’m barely going to sprint out of here am I?” Billy snarls, wincing when the pain in his back worsen as Steve slowly helps him to his feet. “I need the pills, the uh- the ones downstairs.”

“Yeah, I’ll get them.” Steve helps Billy out of the bath, wrapping the towel his waist.

With his arm slung over Steve’s shoulders, Billy all but limps to the bedroom. If his back permits it he’ll use crutches, but his back has been too bad the last few days, and the wheelchair is downstairs.

Billy sits on the bed whilst Steve dries him off, grateful for the gentleness of his touch. Once he’s dried, Steve moves behind him to tie his hair back. Billy hates having it tied back, but it keeps his hair out of his face and helps keep him cool.

“I’ll get the pills.”

Steve’s gone and come back again before Billy can even blink. Billy takes the pills and swallows them down with water, letting the cup stand on the floor.

Steve’s moved to stand in front of his chest of drawers. “What’re you wearing to bed?”

“The green top,” Billy opts for. Usually he sleeps shirtless, but the cast rubs against his chest and causes irritation. “And the white shorts.”

“Oh, you mean _my_ green top and white shorts?

The top goes on easily enough, but the same can’t be said for the shorts. When Billy stands to allow the shorts over his behind, the pain in his lower back worsens. He cries out in pain, almost doubling over if it wasn’t for the death grip he has on Steve’s shoulder.

“Hey hey hey I’ve got you, I’ve got you.” Steve shushes him, slowly lowering Billy back down on the bed. His hand finds home in Billy’s hair as Billy’s face does Steve’s chest, tears staining the front of his top. Leaning down, Steve presses a kiss to the crown of Billy’s head, fingertips slowly running up and down his arm.

Billy’s hand fists the back of Steve’s top. “Can we try the cream again?” He hiccups, desperately consuming every ounce of comfort his boyfriend has to offer. “I know just took my pills, and I said it didn’t work but maybe it will this time.”

In contrast to Billy’s rapid speech, Steve’s voice is gentle when he says, “Yeah, we’ll give it another go.”

It’s awkward having Steve rub the cream into his back. Billy can’t lie down on his stomach due to his arm slung to his chest, and so they make do with Steve’s desk chair. Billy’s front is against the backrest, his back exposed. Steve’s kneeling behind him, fingers rubbing the ointment into his skin. Billy pushes his head against his arm when Steve presses too heavily, but accepts the sorry Steve offers in the form of a kiss to his waist.

“Do you want takeout tonight?” Steve asks. “Pizza, maybe?”

“I’m not really hungry,” Billy mutters, nails digging into the palm of his hand when Steve’s fingers sweep over a particularly painful area.

“Not even for pizza? Romeo’s opened back up.”

Billy lets out a defeated sigh, leaning his forehead against the top of the backrest. He’s meant to sound sassy, but it only comes out as sad when he replies, “All right, if it means that much to you.”

Their plan of ordering pizza is cancelled when Joyce and Hopper come round with enough homemade meals for a week. Joyce hushes them when they thank her, handing Steve her dishes and taking Hopper’s off him before they make their way into the kitchen.

Hopper settles down onto the couch next to Billy. “How’s your back, kid?”

Billy looks at him. “Could be better, you know.”

“I do know,” he folds one leg over the other, hands clasping together in his lap, “I’m aware I’ve already said so, but-“

“You don’t have to say it again.”

“Ah, let me finish.” Hopper turns his body towards Billy. “I know I’ve already said, but thank you for saving El. Nothing will ever show my gratitude, and I’ll be the first to tell you I’m bad at expressing my emotions.” He glances at Joyce in the kitchen, watching as she goes through what each dish is with Steve. He refocuses his attention on Billy, “But I can’t thank you enough for saving my daughter, Billy.”

Billy can feel himself getting misty eyed. “Anyone would’ve done it,” his voice is thick, “she’s a great kid.”

“No, not everyone would’ve done it,” Hopper insists. “But you did, this isn’t something you’re allowed to downplay. Now, I’ve been thinking about this for a while, and what you did pushed me to make a decision. But this isn’t out of pity, understand?”

Unsure but interested, Billy nods his head.

“I’d like to offer you a job down at the station,” Hopper explains. “Of course we’d need to train you and you can’t start until you’re fit enough, but with some hard work and dedication, I think you’d make a good cop.”

Billy stares at Hopper, completely silent. Had he heard him right?

Hopper picks up on Billy’s shock. “Think about it,” he rests an arm on Billy’s shoulder, “all right?”

“Yeah,” is barely audible when it leaves Billy’s mouth.

“He offered you a job?” Steve’s sat next to Billy at the table, sharing the cottage pie between their plates whilst Billy portions out the vegetables. “Did you take it?”

“I’m going to think it over. I can’t start until I’ve recovered, obviously.” He moves a plate to sit in front of Steve. “I just don’t know if I can do it.”

“Why not?”

Billy worries the skin of his thumb between his teeth. “I’ve never done anything like it before. What if I fuck it up?”

“Everyone fucks up at work, Billy,” Steve replies. He hands Billy a fork. “First day at Scoops, I used the allergy scoop to scoop the peanut butter ice cream. Robin went off on me for like, ten minutes.”

“Did a tally mark get added to the ‘you suck’ section?” Billy smiles.

“Two! Two whole tally marks, all because of some peanuts.”

Billy snorts. “That sucks, but I think screwing up a police job and mixing your scoops up are very different.”

“Regardless, you won’t know if you don’t try,” Steve replies before shovelling a mouthful of food into his mouth.

Billy uses his good hand to wipe mince from the corner of Steve’s lips. “Support you have a point.”

To his credit, Steve’s getting better at massaging Billy’s ankle. The first time he’d done it Billy had yanked his foot away in pain, but now he’s much better. Billy knows it’s to do with the physiotherapy/anatomy books Steve thinks he’s hidden well on his top shelf.

“I love you.”

Steve’s head pops up, tongue stuck out slightly in concentration. “Huh?”

Billy chuckles. “I said I love you.”

“Oh. Oh, I love you too,” Steve smiles, hands still working at Billy’s ankle and foot.

“C’mere,” Billy says, sticking his hand out. Steve’s hand leaves Billy’s foot to grasp his hand, shuffling up towards him on the bed. Billy wraps his hand around Steve’s collar and pulls him in for a kiss.

Steve smiles into the kiss, hand resting against Billy’s jaw. When he pulls back, he asks, “What was that for?”

“Can’t I just kiss you because I feel like it?”

“You know you can.”

“I just…” Billy’s eyes lower to Steve’s collar, fingertip dancing against the skin of his neck. “I really appreciate what you’re doing for me, Steve. No one else would, but you, you…”

Steve uses his finger to tilt Billy’s chin up. Looking him in the eyes, he tells him, “You’re worth it.”

Cheeks tinting pink, Billy moves back in. Their lips meet and Steve’s tongue darts into Billy’s mouth. It startles him briefly but he’s over it within nanoseconds, letting Steve’s tongue explore. It’s been a while since they were intimate, and Billy doubts this will lead to anything more. But having Steve, the one person who loves him wholeheartedly so close, feeling the warmth radiating off him feels so good.

Billy pulls him closer, feeling the stress of everything else slip away.

**Author's Note:**

> giraffewrites on tumblr


End file.
